Suction cleaner



Sept. 26, "1944. B. c. BECKER 2,359,194 SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 4,1941 2 Sheets-Shet 1 v I N V E N TO R flernmd afiecker, fieceased by Beras E Becker, Execulrix Sept. 26, 1944.

B. c. BECKER 2,359,194 SUCTION CLEANER Filed Spt. 4, 1941 2Sheets-Shee't 2 INVEN'IOR Bernard 0. .Beclnr, .Deceasedwnicelifieckenfxcculrix A D ATTORNEY specification and drawi PatentedSept. 26, 1944 SUCTION CLEANER Bernard 0. Becker, deceased, late ofCanton,

Bernice E. Becker, executrix, York, Pa., as-

Ohio,

signor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation oi OhioApplication September 4, 1941, Serial No. 409,442

1 Claim.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and more particularly to newand improved cleaner parts which are easily fabricated into a suctioncleaner.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved suctioncleaner. Another object is to provide a suction creating unit includinga motor, fan chamber, handle mounting and dirt bag support cooperatingwith a removable casing unit including the motor housing and nozzle. Afurther object is to support the elements comprising the suctioncreating unit on a metal casing which can withstand the relatively greatstrain'caused by the operation of the motor and fan, while the outercasing unit which is subjected to relatively less strain is formed ofplastic material or light weight metal. Another object is to providecooperating units to form a compact cleaner which, can be manufacturedat small cost. Other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following s wherein: I

Figure 1 is a vertical s ctional view of one embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 with partsbroken away to clearly illustrate the invention; an

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cooperating suction unit and outercasing unit separated preparatory to assembly.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 to 3 comprises asuction cleaner formed of an outer casing unit l including a nozzle andmotoi housing l2 removably attached to-a suction creating unit l3including a metal casing |4 supporting a motor l5, handle l6 and frontand rear wheels I! and. I8, respectively. The metal casing l4 of thesuction creating unit |3 forms the bottom wall I9, vertical side wall 20and part of the top wall 2| of a fan chamber 22 from which rearwardlyextends a metallic exhaust passageway 23, terminating in an annularflange 24 to which a dirt bag 25 may be removably attached by means of apair of nut and bolt connections 25. Removably mounted on the upper wall2| of the fan chamber 22 by means of screws 21 is a metallic plate 28which completes the top Wall of the fan chamber 22 and supports themotor l which rotates a fan 29 disposed in the fan chamber 22. Mountedon the top forward end of the motor I5 is a lamp supporting bracket 30for a lamp 3| arranged horizontally forwardly of the motor l5 and areflector 32 carried by the motor l5 extends behind and below thelamp3l.

Supported on the top wall of the exhaust passageway 23 between the motorl5 and the bag supporting flange 24 is a handle bracket 33 whichpivotally supports the handle l6. Extending laterally integrally fromthe fan chamber side wall 20 is a pair of brackets 34, 34 having strenthening horizontal and vertical webs 35 and 36, respectively, torotatably support the front wheels ll. The rear wheels l8 are journalledon an axle 31 carried by a bracket 38 fastened by rivets 39 to thebottom wall of the exhaust passageway 23. A pair of lugs or cars, 40 areformed integrally with the side wall 20 of the fan chamber and projectforwardly and laterally outwardly at an angle of approximately and apair of lugs or ears 4| extend laterally and integrally from the sidewall of the exhaust passageway 23, the lugs 40 and 4| being providedwith openings 42 and 43, respectively, for receiving attaching studscarried by the outer casing unit I0. v

The suction passageway 44 communicating with the eye 45 of the fanchamber 22 is formed in part' by a wall 46 depending integrally from thebottomwall IQ of the fan chamber and terminates forwardly of the latterin vertically arranged webs 47, 41 which extend .to the top wall of thefan chamber for connection with the outer casing unit Ill. The top wallof the suction passageway 44 is formed by the bottom wall H! of the fanchamber andta web 48 extending forwardly in the plane of the bottom wallof the integrallywith the housing fan chamber and transversely betweenand forwardly of the vertical webs 4,1, 4! forming the side walls of thesuction passageway 44 for connection with the outer casing unit In.

pair of vertically webs 52 formed are arranged on either side of thelamp and along the motor 5 to form with the latter and the reflector 32a motor cooling air passageway 53 with a discharge outlet in the opening5|. A recess 54 is provided at the rear end of the upper wall of thehousing |2 to receive and enclose the handle supporting bracket 33 onthe suction creating unit i 3.

The nozzle II has a downwardly facing open mouth chamber 55 whichextends the width of the outer casing unit In and is partially formedthe lamp 3| for by the exterior walls of the latter. The rear wall ofthe nozzle chamber 55 is formed by wall segments 56, 5'5v extendinginwardly from the end walls of the nozzle H and terminate in spacedrelation in rearwardly curved rabbeted edges 51, 51 which receive themarginal ends 41, 41 of the suction creating unit l3 to also form partof the suction passageway 44. Integral with the outer casing unit I0 isa depending wall 58 which fits between the webs 41, 41 and above thewall 48 of the suction creating: unit l3 and has its inner surface 59contoured similarly to the adjacent side wall 20 of the fan chamber 22to snugly engage the latter and form an abutting contact surfacetherebetween or relatively considerable area. The top wall of the nozzlechamber 55 isformed by *a concave sheet metal plate 60 extending thefull length of the nozzle chamber and is provided with a rearwardlyextending lip 6! which rests against the lower edge of the dependingarcuate wall 58 and has abutting contact with the marginal edge of theprojecting web 48 in the suction creating unit is to complete theentrance to the suction air passageway 44.

In order to complete the suction air passageway 44 from the nozzlechamber 55 to the fan eye 45, a. removable bottom plate 62 is providedand has a marginal edge 63 in abutting contact with the lower edge ofthe depending wall 45 in the suction creating unit 93 and the loweredges of the depending walls 56 in the outer casing unit ill, theforward edge of the plate 52 forming the rear lip 65 of the nozzlesuction mouth.

A pair of blocks 66, 66 are integrally formed in the underside of theouter casing unit' ID and in which are rigidly anchored a depending stud61 and similarly a pair of blocks 68, 68 at the rear end of the outercasing unit ID are provided with a depending stud 69, the studs 61 and.69 extending through the openings 42 and 43, respectively, in thesuction creating unit l3. Nuts 10 are applied to the studs tosecurelyfasten the two units together. A shoulder H on the outer casing unit l0below the lamp opening 5| forms a limiting stop which bears on the topwall of the fan chamber 22 when the two units are assembled. Rotatablymounted in the nozzle chamber is a surface contacting member 12 which isrotated by a belt 13 extending through the passageway 44 to a pulley 14carried by the motor armature shaft.

In order to assemble the suction creating unit 13, the rear caster 38is' riveted to the underside of the exhaust passageway 23' and thehandle bracket 33 is riveted to the top wall of the exhaust passageway.Thereafter the motor I5- carrying the lamp 3| is mounted on the fancasing and the front and rear wheels joumalled on their respectivesupports. The outer casing unit III is placed over the suction creatingunit l3 with the studs 61 and B9 in their respective openings and thedepending arcuate wall 58 ooextensive with a portion of the fan casingside wall 20, the rabbeted edges 51, 51 of the outer casing unit I0receiving the marginal edges 41, 41 forming part of the side wall of theair passageway 44 in the suction creating unit l3, and

the lip 6| of the nozzle chamber top wall abutting the marginal edge ofthe top wall segment 48 in the suction creating unit 13. The nuts 10 aretightened on their studs until the limiting stop 1| abuts the top wallof the fan chamber 22. The outer casing unit 10 thus encloses thepivotal mounting of the handle and the suction creating unit IS. Thesurface contacting member 12 is inserted in the nozzle chamber 55 andthe belt 13 attached to the pulley 14. Thereafter the bottom plate 62 isremovably attached to the two units l0 and I3 by means of a latch 18,the marginal edge 63 of the plate 62 sparming the meeting edges of thevertical Webs 41, 41 and 51, 51 on the units Ill and I3.

From the foregoing it will be perceived that the suction creating unitwhich is subjected to the greatest vibration due to the operation of themotor and fan is constructed of metal, that the outer casing unitcomprising elements subjected to relatively less vibration is formed ofmolded plastic or relatively light weight metal. The contiguous surfacesof the arcuate wall 58 on the outer casing unit and the fan chamber sidewall 20 of the suction creating unit provide a. large bearing surfacebetween the separable units to distribute any impacts received on theFurther, the rabbeted edges 51, 51 on the outer casing unit engaging thewall segments 41, 41 of the suction creating unit extend above the topwall of the suction passageway 44 to prevent relative torsional movementbetween the two units at the meeting edges of these members to therebyeliminate any possibility of air leakage therebetween in the suction airpassageway 44'.

What is claimed is:

A suction cleaner comprising a suction creating unit having a metalcasing of relatively. heavy material defining part of a fan chamber, amotor mounted on said metal casing, an exhaust passageway in said metalcasing for discharging dirt-laden air from said ran chamber, a bagsupporting flange at the end of said ex haust passageway, a handlesupporting bracket mounted on said casing between said motor and bagsupporting flange, 'cleaner supporting wheels all mounted on said metalcasing, an outer casing unit of light material relative to said metalcasing and removably mounted on said suction creating unit to enclosesaid motor and handle bracket, a nozzle formed integrally with saidlight weight outer casing unit, and means defining a suction airpassageway between said nozzle and fan chamber.

BER-NICE E. BECKER. Executria; of the Estate of Bernard C. Becker.

Deceased.

